Cancer patients to benefit from new technology

STAFF REPORTSPublished on Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The new Lab21 Clinical Genomics Center at ITOR will allow cancer patients to benefit from new technology to receive real-time feedback and treatment plans tied to their cancer's specific DNA signature. Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center will be one of the first sites in the country to bring Ion Torrent next-generation gene-sequencing technology into a clinical environment for personalized oncology medicine studies.

"Bringing this leading-edge technology to the cancer clinic represents a significant breakthrough and the culmination of a seven-year journey," said Dr. Joe Stephenson, medical director for GHS' Institute for Translational Oncology Research. "This genomics center is another major step towards fulfilling our vision to provide personalized cancer care – better enabling us to offer the right drug, at the right time, to the right patient."

This potential sea change in cancer treatment is made possible through Life Technologies' next-generation Ion Torrent sequencing systems. Martin Naley, Life Technologies' vice president for genomics medicine, said Greenville will be one of the first locations to bring the Ion Torrent technology directly into research studies that patients can access.

This resource is designed to become an integrated part of the evaluation of every cancer patient who is cared for in the GHS system, said Stephenson. It will also become a powerful translational research service for ITOR's research university and private-sector collaborators.

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